The federal government of Canada officially announced that the prohibition order of disposable plastic containers has finally come down! Effective from December this year!
Steven Guilbeault, the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Jean Yves Duclos, the Minister of Health, jointly announced that the plastics targeted by the plastic ban include shopping bags, tableware, catering containers, ring portable packaging, mixing rods and most straws.
From the end of 2022, Canada officially banned companies from importing or producing plastic bags and takeout boxes; From the end of 2023, these plastic products will no longer be sold in Canada; By the end of 2025, not only will it not be produced or imported, but all these plastic products in Canada will not be exported to other places!
Canada’s goal is to achieve “Zero plastic entering landfills, beaches, rivers, wetlands and forests” by 2030, so that plastic can disappear from nature.
In addition to plastic bags and takeout boxes, this ban is also effective for disposable plastic straws, mixing sticks and knives, and cans or water bottle fixing rings!
This time, the new regulations announced by the Canadian Federation are aimed at six categories of disposable plastic products——
1、 Plastic shopping bag
Plastic shopping bags that were previously provided free of charge will completely disappear from people’s lives and will be replaced by paper bags or environmentally friendly shopping bags;
2、 Plastic tableware
Plastic tableware, including knives and forks, spoons and chopsticks, commonly used for parties and picnics at home, will be banned and will gradually withdraw from the market, and will not be produced, sold, imported or exported;
3、 Plastic container
Lunch boxes and drink cups commonly used in Chinese restaurants, which are made of expanded polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, polyvinyl chloride, carbon black and an oxidable and degradable plastic, including flip containers, covered containers, boxes, cups, plates and bowls, are prohibited;
4、 Six pack rings
The circular portable packaging on the top of the six pop cans sold in supermarkets will also be discarded.
5、 Mixing stick
When you go to Tim Horton or Starbucks to buy coffee, you will see a plastic stick, which is used to stir, mix drinks or prevent drinks from overflowing from the lid of the container. It will also be banned. In fact, many coffee shops have now changed to wooden mixing sticks.
6、 Straw
Straws may be more suitable for everyone. The Canadian government’s plastic ban this time includes the prohibition of soft and hard drink straws;
Not only the straws for taking out drinks, but also the plastic straws attached to the boxed fruit juice are not allowed to be used, produced, imported or exported;
In addition to industries and places with special exceptions, Canada will prohibit the manufacture and import of these disposable plastics. This regulation will take effect from December 2022!
Since April 22, Wal Mart Canada has also joined the ranks and officially implemented the plastic ban.
On June 7, a study in the cryosphere, a magazine of the European Geoscience Union, showed that scientists found microplastics in Antarctic snow samples for the first time, shocking the world!
Microplastics have appeared in Antarctic waters as early as 2018, but it is the first time that these pollutants have been found in Antarctic snow, which has aroused the concern of environmentalists from all walks of life around the world.
Researchers found that the average liter of melted snow contained 29 plastic particles. The impact of microplastics reaching remote areas such as Antarctica is undoubtedly huge.
Once microplastics appear in the snow and ice in high mountains or polar regions, it is possible to accelerate the melting of the cryosphere by absorbing sunlight and enhancing local heating; In addition, microplastics may further affect the climate through cloud ice cores in the atmosphere.
(From Paper Horizon)
Post time: Jul-25-2022
